# 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' Creator Terminates U.S. Deal and Sues for Millions of Dollars



## hopeandjoy (Apr 2, 2011)

Or: 4kids is screwed.

The Hollywood Reporter:


> 4Kids Entertainment has made quite a business out of taking Japanese anime programming like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! and dubbing it into English for the pleasure of U.S. children. Just how lucrative? The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, including a popular TV show and various merchandising, is said to have earned 4Kids over $152 million in income between 2001 and 2009.
> 
> But now, the Japanese animation studio that first created the anime hits is attacking, claiming that 4Kids owes it millions of dollars for making secret agreements with TV networks and home video distributors as well as making improper royalty deductions, including for the cost of the actual dubbing. As the result of alleged contractual breaches, the Japanese companies behind the show reveal they have just terminated their licensing agreements with 4Kids. They now want past money owed too.
> 
> ...


And after I finish worrying about Funi, I'm going to go celebrate this.


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